Food Budget...

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I spend roughly $320 per month consuming 4000 or more calories per day of healthy foods from Costco. I think $75 is doable if you plan and budget right. Fail to plan, plan to fail.
 
This is one thing I really don't want to plan much about, though... I don't plan on eating extravagantly, but I don't want to be pinching pennies, either.

Does $100 sound safer?
 
I spend about $400/mo for two people.

It's going to be it interesting to see what my meals will be like once the craziness starts.
 
$75 a week seems reasonable to me if you're watching what types of stuff you're eating. I try and look for deals on produce and fruit. I would buy fruits and vegetables that last long and are in season. I also have a crock pot in my apartment now that I use a lot and I can freeze or save the stuff that I don't eat. I would get a costco membership if you can; it will save you money on basics like tp, paper towel, grains, and other stuff that you might use a lot of.
 
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Wow. you people spend so much money on food! my budget never leaves 30-40 per week! and no I don't live off Ramen noodles
 
ThetaMoen said:
$75 a month seems reasonable to me if you're watching what types of stuff you're eating. I try and look for deals on produce and fruit. I would buy fruits and vegetables that last long and are in season. I also have a crock pot in my apartment now that I use a lot and I can freeze or save the stuff that I don't eat. I would get a costco membership if you can; it will save you money on basics like tp, paper towel, grains, and other stuff that you might use a lot of.
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I said $75 a week, hehe. 🙂 It sounds like you eat really healthy, though!

@CleverThought , how often do you two eat out? I figured that my boyfriend and I could both contribute $75 a week and just share the groceries, so that'd put us at $150 a week combined.

I'm hoping to cook a lot... but we'll see. I'm sure we'll end up eating out 2-3 times a week. There's a Sams Club close by, as well as a whole bunch of grocery stores. I'm a sucker for Trader Joe's.

@Bottle $30 a week is impressive! Do you cook everything?
 
ThetaMoen said:
$75 a month seems reasonable to me if you're watching what types of stuff you're eating.
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$75/month? I don't see how that is possible unless you're eating rice, fruit, veggies and a little meat during every meal
 
free99 said:
$30 a week? That's $4.30/day... How do you manage that?
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I skip lunch. I eat one bowl of cereal/ or 1 Apple. Sometimes I bring protein bar with me in tough days such as labs day. Dinner is Cold water + uncle Ben rice or popcorn I made myself. Popcorn is good for exam days, tons of things to chew and keep you awake. Add to that Coffee that I brew/Tee. Most of my stuff is bought in large portions. However, I gotta admit that I was shocked when you calculated that I spend $4.3 per day on food. The actual money I spend is 7-80$ per 1 trip that I make each two weeks.

#Slow_metabolism
 
Bottle said:
Dinner is Cold water + uncle Ben rice or popcorn I made myself. Popcorn is good for exam days, tons of things to chew and keep you awake.

#Slow_metabolism
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that's a ton of sodium
 
Bottle said:
I skip lunch. I eat one bowl of cereal/ or 1 Apple. Sometimes I bring protein bar with me in tough days such as labs day. Dinner is Cold water + uncle Ben rice or popcorn I made myself. Popcorn is good for exam days, tons of things to chew and keep you awake. Add to that Coffee that I brew/Tee. Most of my stuff is bought in large portions. However, I gotta admit that I was shocked when you calculated that I spend $4.3 per day on food. The actual money I spend is 7-80$ per 1 trip that I make each two weeks.

#Slow_metabolism
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You are starving your body of nutrients it needs. I'm not going to say a particular word, but this is not healthy, AT ALL. I hope you don't sustain this pace for long.
 
Bottle said:
I skip lunch. I eat one bowl of cereal/ or 1 Apple. Sometimes I bring protein bar with me in tough days such as labs day. Dinner is Cold water + uncle Ben rice or popcorn I made myself. Popcorn is good for exam days, tons of things to chew and keep you awake. Add to that Coffee that I brew/Tee. Most of my stuff is bought in large portions. However, I gotta admit that I was shocked when you calculated that I spend $4.3 per day on food. The actual money I spend is 7-80$ per 1 trip that I make each two weeks.

#Slow_metabolism
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Ummm....where are you getting essential vitamins in your cereal, apple, rice/popcorn diet? For your sake, you really need to eat better
 
customx said:
$75/month? I don't see how that is possible unless you're eating rice, fruit, veggies and a little meat during every meal
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OMG correction! I did mean $75 per week! Thanks for the catch!
 
I can spend $40/week to buy 2-3 bags of tyson's microwaveable crispy chicken tenders, buffalo chicken, or grilled chicken at $7/each bag, bread for $3.99, milk for $3.99, water, juice for $2.99, snacks for $5. I eat a granola bar for breakfast, then I make PB&J for lunch, and for dinner I eat chicken with rice, EVERY SINGLE DAY. It sucked. Sometimes I bought a foot long sub at Subway for $5 and eat half at lunch and the other half at dinner. That's $2.50 for a meal. Not bad. You can buy 20 microwaveable sticky rice packages in a box for like $25. I'm sick of any kind of pasta and soup that I make at this point. I got to the point where I'd have chest pain after eating a meal because of all the high protein and fat content of this diet. So obviously do not follow my example. Notice how I didn't buy vegetables, like ever...

I know some people who eat rice with beef jerky almost everyday.

Ideally, you want to eat healthy so you can feel better and therefore study better. I made the mistake of choosing convenience over health because I thought I wouldn't have time to cook. I probably did have time to cook but whenever I thought about cooking I'd end up rationalizing how I could be studying rather than cooking so I'd choose convenience over health.
 
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Glimmer1991 said:
This is one thing I really don't want to plan much about, though... I don't plan on eating extravagantly, but I don't want to be pinching pennies, either.

Does $100 sound safer?
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By plan I mean establish a routine shopping list. I get pretty much the same things everytime I shop:

-Bread
-Milk
-Eggs
-Greek Yogurt
-Bananas
-Frozen Blueberries or frozen strawberries
-Spinach + Kale / Mixed greens
-Salmon
-Nuts
-Chicken breast

Once you have that basic routine down you won't have to plan your meals (you know what to eat, and how much of it to eat) and you don't have to plan your shopping either.

PS - A small convection oven is a big help when it comes to cooking chicken or toasting bread for 1/2 people. Also, skip the non-stick pans, they suck and are coated in toxic crap. Get a solid cast iron pan, you won't regret it. Nothing ever sticks!
 
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sgv said:
that's a ton of sodium
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it's nothing compared to those canned soups 😉 best food for winter

=========

People, thank you for your concern 🙂 I know my diet is not healthy at all, but as far as I'm concerned, it is way better than typical college ramen noodles diet. I try to switch my morning fruit/switch rice with pasta or something new and weird my local suprtmarket sells. I also go out to eat from time to time, but I don't include that to my budget as it is unpredictable.
 
Glimmerrrr. THERE's SO MANY GOOD RESTAURANTS AROUND THE AREA. Just saying.

But Sam's club is great for saving money and buying in bulk. Can't really help you with estimating the actual price per week that you can survive on.
 
sgv said:
I probably did have time to cook but whenever I thought about cooking I'd end up rationalizing how I could be studying rather than cooking so I'd choose convenience over health.
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Omg this was my rationale for years.
 
TBH,
I don't think food costs/eating decently is an area where one should try to save money. Grocery shopping to me is stress relief. I support buying in bulk, and love cooking up new healthy recipes. Also, Keurigs are nice for those long nights of midterm studying. Try to eat well and your body will thank you-one can only survive on junk for so long...despite what the Pizza Lunch and Learns try to tell you, lol.
 
kidsaremypassion said:
TBH,
I don't think food costs/eating decently is an area where one should try to save money. Grocery shopping to me is stress relief. I support buying in bulk, and love cooking up new healthy recipes. Also, Keurigs are nice for those long nights of midterm studying. Try to eat well and your body will thank you-one can only survive on junk for so long...despite what the Pizza Lunch and Learns try to tell you, lol.
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I agree! Give me a dollar amount! 😀
 
Not sure where you're located, but I'm in Texas.I'd say I spend about 40 bucks a week, maybe 30 the next week, etc. It takes me quite a while to go through things like milk, cereal, brown rice,etc. The protein-salmon, chicken, usually goes first for me, lol
 
Glimmer1991 said:
How much are you guys budgeting/expecting to spend a week on food?

Does $75 a week sound realistic for one person?
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$75 is reasonable, a week. A month adds up to $300.

Best would be to buy food in bulk, online or a whole sale supermarket, or buy on sale.

What to buy? Now that's your problem, I think I could live off 200-250$ a month and fulfill all my protein needs.
 
I plan to steal food from the cafeteria. I mean... I am going to be a dentist in 4 years.. so I might as well start utilizing my talents from now.
 
I currently spend 20.00 a week on food :/ protein bars, bagels, fruit roll ups, and my water bottle I fill up with tap water. I'm so busy during the day that I sometimes forget to eat :/


meow
 
The wife and I spend $20/day or $10/person eating when we cook, obviously more when we eat out, so I think you're on track. We buy a lot of pre-made coffee and other things that can be left out with some planning, but I think that's a good estimate.
 
Not a dental student but I love grocery shopping and cooking lol...

75-100$/week sounds realistic, especially if your bf is going to be contributing too. When you first move to wherever you're going to school, make a trip to the store just to stock up on the basics you will always need and won't go bad, so you don't have to constantly buy these things each trip:

-pasta (try the Garden Delight brand, it's made from vegetables, so you get a couple servings of veggies when you make pasta and it tastes good)
-rice or quinoa (more protein and lots of flavor options - try the Far East brand)
-bread, peanut butter, jelly, nutella
-butter, olive oil, vegetable oil
-few boxes of cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix, cereal bars for mornings you're running late to class, etc.
-nuts
-salad dressing, condiments
-pasta sauces
-frozen veggies
-whatever snacks you like
-boxes of yogurt
-coffee

This way on all your subsequent trips, you just need to restock on fresh items like fruits, vegetables, meat, milk, eggs.
 
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Also, it makes a huge difference where you do your shopping. Idk what city you are in, but try to find a store that has a membership card for discounts (like Winn Dixie or Kroger in the south). I think getting membership at Costco or Sam's Club isn't worth it for just a household of 1 or 2. Buying in bulk is better for families with kids. Get your staple, non-perishable items like pasta, snacks, toilet paper etc. at someplace cheap like Walmart and then buy the fresh stuff someplace with better quality (like the places I mentioned above or Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc.).
 
Glimmer1991 said:
I said $75 a week, hehe. 🙂 It sounds like you eat really healthy, though!

@CleverThought , how often do you two eat out? I figured that my boyfriend and I could both contribute $75 a week and just share the groceries, so that'd put us at $150 a week combined.

I'm hoping to cook a lot... but we'll see. I'm sure we'll end up eating out 2-3 times a week. There's a Sams Club close by, as well as a whole bunch of grocery stores. I'm a sucker for Trader Joe's.

@Bottle $30 a week is impressive! Do you cook everything?
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We almost never eat out! I shop at Aldi's almost exclusively (not sure if it's a Midwest only grocery store), but it is amazingly cheap. I usually can load up a cart to the top and spend $125ish, and that will last a week and a half to 2 weeks.
 
I am a bodybuilder that eats a TON of food. Which includes lots of meat. I have never once spent over 100/wk so i see no reason the average person could not swing 75. Sam's club and costco are your friends. Get to know them well.
 
Fluffy Pomeranian said:
Also, it makes a huge difference where you do your shopping. Idk what city you are in, but try to find a store that has a membership card for discounts (like Winn Dixie or Kroger in the south). I think getting membership at Costco or Sam's Club isn't worth it for just a household of 1 or 2. Buying in bulk is better for families with kids. Get your staple, non-perishable items like pasta, snacks, toilet paper etc. at someplace cheap like Walmart and then buy the fresh stuff someplace with better quality (like the places I mentioned above or Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc.).
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I agree. The wholesale isn't worth the membership money for so few people. So do like me and convince your parents that they need a membership, and just piggy back off of theirs. :laugh: You even get your own card to use, while they pay for it. 🙄

I only go to costco and BJ's because they have great treats like shrimp scampi, grilled, seasoned and marinated frozen chicken, frozen tilapia filets, frozen garlic rolls and buns and other yummy things in bulk, so it lasts a while. AND fruit in bulk (if you eat a lot of fruit like I do).

oh. and the best part is the candy in bulk. candy, everywhere.
 
Best thing I've discovered... I usually buy a huge thing of chicken breasts. Spice em up how I want. Bake em in the oven and then put them in tubber-ware containers. I usually do this on Sundays and I've got my protein ready for the week!

Naturally if I want some veggies/rice etc with it, it takes longer to make. But this has saved me so much time during the work week and I am planning to carry this out through Dschool
 
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Just for reference, this was my shopping from today, the photo does no justice but I got all this for $90. This includes 2 lbs ground turkey, 2 lbs ground beef, ~12 apples, several packages of California medley and asparagus, K-cups, iced coffee, 3 bags of shredded cheese, 4 jars of pasta sauce, pasta, taco shells, and much more.

The moral to the story, this grocery run will last us for over a week. Cheap and healthy grocery shopping can be done!
 
CleverThought said:
Just for reference, this was my shopping from today, the photo does no justice but I got all this for $90. This includes 2 lbs ground turkey, 2 lbs ground beef, ~12 apples, several packages of California medley and asparagus, K-cups, iced coffee, 3 bags of shredded cheese, 4 jars of pasta sauce, pasta, taco shells, and much more.

The moral to the story, this grocery run will last us for over a week. Cheap and healthy grocery shopping can be done!
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Use some of that ground turkey and beef to make theeeese: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/sloppy-joes-recipe.html
I made this recipe last week and they were delicious! 🙂

Also, if you're in the market for a cookbook, I just bought this one and it's AWESOME for someone like me who isn't the most experienced chef in the world. (Or it's even good for people who are really good chefs! My mom likes her, and Mom can cook just about anything.) In the book, Ree has pictures for every single step.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Pioneer-W...=1405514588&sr=8-1&keywords=the+pioneer+woman
 
Glimmer1991 said:
Use some of that ground turkey and beef to make theeeese: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/sloppy-joes-recipe.html
I made this recipe last week and they were delicious! 🙂

Also, if you're in the market for a cookbook, I just bought this one and it's AWESOME for someone like me who isn't the most experienced chef in the world. (Or it's even good for people who are really good chefs! My mom likes her, and Mom can cook just about anything.) In the book, Ree has pictures for every single step.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Pioneer-Woman-Cooks-Frontier/dp/0061997188/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405514588&sr=8-1&keywords=the pioneer woman
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Ohh! I follow her blog, so I might just have to invest in that cookbook!
 
I usually spend between 30-$50 a week but I feel like I eat 3 real meals a day and don't miss out on anything. Breakfasts are either pop tarts, bagels, oatmeal, or eggs and bacon, lunch is just whatever sandwich I make with some fruit and chips, and supper is usually something made with chicken and ramen, although I make a lot of meals anyone would love to have even if they weren't a college student like tuna steaks or a regular steak I pan fry in my apartment. Living cheap doesn't have to mean you miss out on good stuff!
 
I've been spending about $50-75 a week to feed two people, and we typically get chipotle once a week (extra ~$15) cuz it's awesome and we deserve it.
 
I don't understand this thread, food budget? , seriously....

$100 a week is more than enough to live, and nourish the students body.

There should be a thread on loan reimbursement budgeting.

Now that is a hard one to crack.

Once peeps start getting the cheddar from the loans, food budget will be a once upon a time thing.

Cut the costs out of the clothing and entertainment budget.
 
tooth knockn said:
I don't understand this thread, food budget? , seriously....

There should be a thread on loan reimbursement budgeting.
Click to expand...

This is literally a subset of that very topic... i.e. "How much loan money should I budget to cover my food expenses?"

What's there not to understand? 🙂 And why would a food budget go out the window once a student gets their reimbursement? The point is to only take out as much as you need, with a little cushion on top of that--if you squander your reimbursement by spending too much in any one category, you're going to be in trouble. That's why no part of the budget--food included--should go "out the window." And that's also why it's good to at least try to plan for each part of it.

I made this thread because I wanted to know how much to take out in loans to cover food. 🙂 I hope that makes it easier to understand!
 
I go about 200-250 on food. I cook A TON OF PASTA. Very cheap ($1-$2) and can last you a good day or two. Microwavable meatballs are also cheap lol. I love cooking and looking for new sauce recipes so I'm always on cooking websites! It's been around a year, I've gained about 4 pounds and its still good 🙂
#student budgets
 
Uh...those are HUGE food budgets. Shop meat sales, get loyalty cards, use coupons, get the circular ads. Left overs are your friend - they make great lunches or dinners a few nights later.

Doing this, my wife and spend $450/month to food a family of four.
 
I spend on average $100 a MONTH for food only; and it could be less than that. I don't go grocery shopping every week because I would buy a tray of chicken (about $8) and that will last me about 1-2 weeks. Every time I go grocery shopping, I only buy one or two types of meat that I plan to cook and I buy vegetables to accompany the meat. I cook 1 or two days out of the week and eat the same thing for the rest of the week. I rarely go out to eat and my snacks are fruits only. My parents let me have some of their rice whenever I'm running low but if I were to buy my own rice, it's gonna be $15 for more than a month, so still under $100.
 
Besides going out to eat occasionally, I cook most of my foods (usually mexican, since I can get all the essential nutrients with rice/beans, veggies, and chicken in one big pot!). Once a week I treat myself with wild salmon or some other type of fish. I buy frozen dumplings at costco (can you tell I'm asian?!! :laugh:) and each bag ~$11 lasts me about 6-7 meals for times that I don't feel like cooking. I also try to eat full breakfast without lots of oils. And be more eat-as-I-go during evening time with salads, nuts, fruits, etc.

So that comes out about $60-70 a week. And I go grocery shopping a lot because I can't live without fresh seasonal fruits! :happy:
 
oi clicked the wrong button forget about this
 
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